New Writer

I am happy to introduce the newest addition to JoshTarts: Danna!

We're expanding JoshTarts and it's time to reach out for some help. I asked my fiance Danna join me in spreading interesting stuff we find on the web. Here's a little bit about Danna:

Favorite Candy: I've always been a fan of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups but more recently it's whatever sounds good when I'm staring at all my choices.

Favorite thing with four legs: Baby elephants.

What would you do if you were being chased by an angry bull and then you noticed you were also being chased by a swarm of bees? I'm pretty sure I would be more concerned about the angry bull. Although a 100 bee stings wouldn't be fun, I'd rather be alive.

Favorite movie: I really don't have a favorite movie. I'm waiting for the day I see a movie that really moves me enough to call it my favorite.

Most influential person in your life (never met): Joseph Smith. There aren't many people that I admire as much as I do this man. And there aren't many people (that I haven't met) that have helped shape my life as much as this man.

Favorite band: Dashboard Confessional was always my favorite but I have expanded on that with quite a few bands I love.

Favorite book: The Giver.

Most important event in the history of the US: the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 that signaled the birth of a new nation without which none of what we have would exist.

Favorite clothing accessory: (my favorite article of clothing are my gap jeans that recently ripped because i wear them so much) but my favorite clothing accessory would be my pink victoria's secret peace and love underwear.

Tell me something really weird that you've learned recently, that you think is at least 90% true: A doctor once told my dad that when you're sick if you imagine the white blood cells dressed as little soldiers going to war and fighting against the bad cells it will actually make you heal faster.

Earliest memory ever: I remember moving to our new house when I was just 3 years old. We ran around picking out what rooms we wanted and I remember thinking how huge it was. I have no memory of our old house so I think the day we moved in is my first memory. I remember sitting on the floor in the big empty rooms.

Favorite athlete: I'm not a huge sports girl but I do love to watch baseball. I don't know if it's legal to cheer on the Mariners right now :\ Haha but I love Yuniesky Beatencourt, JJ Putz, Ichiro Suzuki...

Greatest invention ever: Antibiotics. I know too people that wouldn't be alive today without the invention of modern medicine including myself, my mom and my brother.

Favorite comic: Archie

So welcome Danna to JoshTarts; we're glad to have you.

WALL●E

Josh gave me the great honor of covering the review on WALL●E which we went and saw opening night. This is my first official movie review, so bear with me.

WALL●E was a great example of what Pixar does best: create a visually stimulating environment and fill it with easy to love animated characters. As part of Pixar's first science fiction film we find a much deeper message about the possible future of humanity. Although WALL●E is directed towards children, it has a strong theme that rings more with adults.

Now that's love :)

(No spoilers)
WALL●E is one of many clean-up robots created to clean up the consumer mess that mankind left when they took off to space for a more luxurious life. But WALL●E is the only living robot left on earth and he has just one glitch; a personality. Pixar spends the first 20 minutes or so developing this lovable character and slowly making each person fall in love with his entertaining personality and hilarious clumsiness. But being the only robot on earth he often finds himself quite lonely. The story starts to pick up as the movie introduces EVE, an egg shaped probe sent to earth by the megacorporation that created the whole mess in the first place. WALL●E quickly falls in love with EVE and her adorable "digigiggle". But as soon as EVE finds what she is looking for (a living plant that WALL●E gives her [exactly what the megacorporation was looking for]) she shuts down and is shipped back to space to her mothership. The story then follows WALL●E and EVE's adventures as they spend time in space on Axiom, the mothership that contains what is left of humankind; an obese group of "fully developed babies". They spend their time in hovering recliners drinking supersized sodas. But this ugly reality is delivered as a comedy.


WALL●E is definitely a must-see of the year. Pixar has yet to disappoint me with any of their movies. It's amazing to see how far their technology and abilities have come over the years. WALL●E is yet another fresh idea from the Pixar producers. The first 45 minutes does not have very much dialogue and may leave children a bit squirmy but the lovable robots and their fun robot sounds may be enough to keep them engaged. The robot sounds used in the movie were actually all created by Ben Burtt; the man behind R2-D2's beeps and E.T.'s throaty garble. Burtt continues to impress audiences with this animated and more technologically advanced film. None of the sounds that you hear in the film are digital, they were all created by Burtt himself.


If you haven't seen WALL●E yet, make sure you take the time and money to see it in the theaters. It is an absolutely beautiful film and it has such a visually-stimulating aspect that could not be captured (as well) anywhere but on the big screen. Pixar took a big leap with this movie and they pulled it off amazingly. Many people say that the idea of robots teaching humans how to be humans again is overused and as many times as it's been used I definitely haven't seen anything that compares to WALL●E. It will keep you laughing and have you leaving with a smile on your face.

Danna's Post About Me

I think Danna likes me. She talks me up way too much, too. I hope I'm not a total flop when we get married. lol Here's her engagement memory unfolded:

I Know

I'm engaged!

Last Thursday, May 29, I flew to Pacific City, Oregon to surprise my girlfriend with a ring. Her Dad and two brothers picked me up (thank you), and took me directly to the beach to write, "Will you marry me?" in the sand. As I sat on some random drift wood and waited, I thought about what I was doing. I was ridiculously nervous, but I knew what I was doing. I was doing the right thing. I have never felt so excited and happy before.


When Danna finally arrived (20 minutes later), she began to walk down towards the beach with everyone in her family. She had no idea what was about to happen. She thought I was busy at work in Utah. She finally recognized me and ran to me, but not before dropping her $400 camera in the sand. We hugged and then I pointed out the lettering in the sand as I knelt down on one knee. She put her hands over her mouth! I opened the ring box and asked if she would marry me. She said, "Yes, yes!" We kissed and got engaged. I think I speak for her as well when I say that neither of us have ever been so happy.

Other pictures from that trip:

Hey Danna the Banana

ANNOUNCEMENT

The JoshTarts you know is no longer.

It is now http://www.joshtarts.com!

Hooray!

(And now, here are some of my friends making mean faces, sleeping and attempting murder (Tommy))

One (Schrute/Hero) Buck

At work, there's contest for who can make the best "Hero Buck." They are doing some new Associate Focus Group tactic that involves giving associates a "Hero Buck" whenever a good deed is done or something like that. So I decided to enter the contest and this is what I came up with. (That's my boss in the middle.)

And yes, I stole the design from my favorite TV show- The Office. It originally was a Schrute Buck and looked like this.
(And Danna helped me with the picture in Photoshop. What would I do without her?)

Sign Language Matchbook

This is a pretty sweet idea. I'm putting this up here mostly for my friends Danna and Tommy. Enjoy.

Amazing Photo by Danna

Danna's Photo Blog

Comics Today #11

Dunn has inspired me to put up some of my favorites, and this one reminds me of Dunn.



This one reminds me of TK.



This one reminds me of Devin.



This is one reminds me of no one and is effing hilarious.



And this one reminds me of Danna.